Reunification
by Xinliang
Summary: Fifteen years ago Sakura had been left alone and abandoned by Syaoran. At the same time, her own country had gone under a split. 15 years later, Sakura has Syaoran's son and the country talks about reunification - will she reunite with Syaoran? Complete.
1. 001

**Reunification**

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><p><strong>Summary:<strong> Fifteen years ago Sakura had been left alone and abandoned by Syaoran. At the same time, her own country had gone under a split. Fifteen years later, Sakura has Syaoran's son and the country talks about reunification - will she reunite with Syaoran?

**Disclaimer: **I don't own CCS or any CLAMP works.

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><p><strong>001.<strong>

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><p>There was once a time where there was no war. There was a time where there was no senseless violence. It seemed like yesterday that there was none of this conflict, and that our country was still whole, before the whole political ideological conflict and before this whole mess started. There was a time of peace, but now, I don't know when that will ever happen, if at all.<p>

It wasn't just the war that plagued our everyday lives, but it was the inner struggles in our own individual lives.

For me, it's been over fifteen years. I'm thirty five years old now. I'm no longer the Sakura Kinomoto who is twenty years old and carefree. No, I'm callous and alert. I remember that Tomoyo used to say I was an optimist. It's true, I _was_ an optimist. However, that was just my immaturity and naiveté that made me an optimist. My twenty year-old self had never seen a war take place – to see her nation splitting, to get her lover taken away from her and to have to raise a child alone. I, at twenty years old, would have never seen my life turn out the way it did now. I thought that I would be what I have dreamt of being: a nurse with a family; a happy family. I wanted to give my son the opportunity of having both parents present in his life, but I know it's just a distant dream. It's just a dream, after all.

I named our son Kibou – no, _my_ son. Since I raised Kibou myself. Kibou means hope, and I guess my feelings had manifested within him. I wanted hope. We needed hope for the future – but how could I have hope when there's missiles flying everywhere? With military walking all over our city? How could I have hope when others are starving? I'm lucky that my father was such an important figure in our government, his legacy had been passed down to my brother – and since I am directly related to him, I have had the privilege of living such a good life. I'm not so lucky, though. As I said, people are starving here. Wealth is heavily polarized. The government here wasn't fair for _all the people_. I always strived for equality, but fighting for equality meant treason.

I couldn't leave my son without a mother too – I wouldn't allow it. For fourteen years, I had raised Kibou alone. When he was growing up, he'd ask me where his father was – if he had a father.

What was I supposed to say to that?

Your father left us?

Your father abandoned both of us?

You _have_ no father?

No phone calls, no letters, nothing. Nothing to tell us if he was okay, how he was doing or if he wanted to ask me how I was doing. No, I got none of those. He never bothered asking about me, about us. Worst of all, he never asked about his son. Even though I sent him multiple letters about it, no. There's none of that here.

This was my life now, and all those dreams of having a perfect family, a perfect life, tarnished by the reality of abandonment.

**xxxx**

"He still doesn't know, does he?" Tomoyo asked sadly as she was cutting me another slice of cake.

"Mmmm?" I said in between bites, "You're lucky to have such a nice husband like Eriol..." I took a gulp of tea to wash down the sweetness. I sighed as Tomoyo gave me _the look_, the look when she knew I was purposely avoiding a subject.

"No." My eyes drifted away from Tomoyo's gaze, "Of course Kibou doesn't know. He'll never know about this. I just said his father died. That's it. He doesn't need to know who his father is, and he doesn't need to know that his father abandoned us and fled the country. Do you know how heartbreaking that is?"

"I think if Kibou ever found out you lied to him for 15 years of his life, I think he'd be even more heartbroken." Tomoyo frowned, "It doesn't help that he looks exactly like his father."

"I know. Every day I have to look at my son – while I love him, he's my life... he's a splitting image of Syaoran! Exactly alike. He has the messy hair, the brown eyes – he looks nothing like me." I started to rub my temples as I felt a headache coming in thinking about it.

"At least you are blessed with a very handsome child." Tomoyo tried to ease the situation.

Sometimes I'd get like this, I'd agonize about my past and about the predicaments that had come to pass upon me and my son. Tomoyo doesn't know the pain of being abandoned – she and Eriol have been together since Syaoran and I had ever gotten together. The only difference was her and Eriol lasted – Eriol came from the same region Syaoran had lived in and was born in, but he stayed with Tomoyo. He never looked back, he never went back. Luckily, since he was married to Tomoyo before the country officially split into two separate countries.

"I can't believe it, though. I let myself believe that he loved me. Little did I know that I was just his play-thing until he was done school here, and when it was time to go back to his own city, he never came back. It's as if I never existed. He never even bothered to write back, Tomoyo!" I said as I put the fork down. I couldn't finish the rest of the cake, I had lost my appetite thinking about Syaoran.

"On the bright side... the war is coming to an end, I think." Tomoyo said with a smile, "Fifteen years of this nonsense hopefully coming to an end."

It's been fifteen years since I got pregnant.

Fifteen years since he left me.

Fifteen years since he told me that he had errands to tend to at home, but he _promised_ that he'd come see me.

It was fifteen years ago Tomoyo and Eriol got married.

Fifteen years ago since our country split into two.

Fifteen years of no communication.

The whole thing made me sick. If he didn't want to be with me, it's fine, but I wish he had told me something – anything. Was he okay? Was he dead? Did he have another family? Did he have any children? Another wife? I couldn't know. I couldn't cross the country border, despite my status, because it was illegal for all citizens. Citizens trying to cross that border would be shot to death. I tried calling, but no one picked up. I tried writing, but no letters came to respond to me.

It didn't hurt me most, no. It hurt Kibou the most. He grew up resenting others for having fathers, and sometimes he resented me. His friends and his parents friends called me a whore, because he did not have a father, because he was an illegitimate child conceived outside of marriage; children are cruel, and Syaoran's absence made it sting harder than it did.

If I could take all the pain back I would, but this is the reality.

I long for the day that the war is over so I could somehow cross over and find him. I do not long to see him and be with him again, but I want Kibou to know the truth. Face-to-face.

I hope all the speculation was right. I hope that this war was over and we can re-unify again. I hope that the differences are settled, and I hope that somehow, I can resolve my own conflicts. I do not hope for my own personal reunification with Syaoran, but I hope that he and his son can reunify. I want Kibou to know who his father is, and I want Syaoran to know that he has a son.

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><p><strong>Authors Note:<strong>

This will be a short story, about 2 or 3 chapters. I was going to publish this under "Two Parts, Same Sky" but I revised it, made it shorter and made it my usual writing style. (I cannot write in 3rd person, lol, I am my own worst critic!) I condensed it, removed the backstory and got straight to the point. I hope you enjoy!


	2. 002

**Reunification**

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><p><strong>002.<strong>

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><p>I'll never forget that electrifying feeling I felt that shivered down my spine when I heard General Kato gathered all of us together at the military base. For fifteen years, it was probably the brightest moment of my life, and one that I could remember that I actually felt <em>happy<em>.

"We did it. The war is over." General Kato was not one for emotional theatrics, but I saw tears flowing down from his eyes. He was happy, he was shedding tears of joy.

Everyone here was, and I was no exception to that.

It's been fifteen years since I've gotten myself into this whole mess. It's been fifteen years since I was forced to leave the first girl that I fell head-over-heels with... for what - to be a pawn, to be a product of war?

I never asked to be in the army.

**~x~**

_Flashback, Fifteen years prior..._

"I'll be back before you know it." I tried to ease Sakura's crying by locking her in an embrace. I tried to hush her up, but the tears kept flowing and inevitably soaking my shirt. She always was like this when I was going to go down to Kaitou city – my hometown in the Eda province of our country, Tomoeda. I had to do a few errands, the usual.

Sakura started to sniffle as she rubbed her tear stained face. Her green eyes, although filled with tears, they shined brilliantly which further emphasized her beauty. It was those same green eyes that gave me the courage to talk to her, and it was those same green eyes that drew me in. As I admired her features, she gave me a sad smile and nodded in compliance.

"I know, it's just I can't live without you." Sakura said softly, "I love you, Syaoran. I love you so much."

"I know." I smiled as I hugged her even more tightly, "I love you too."

We had shared a moment of passion the night prior to my departure. Fortunately for me, I got the latest train to Kaitou city so I could spend my last day with Sakura. I didn't know how long these errands would take for my mother – but none took more than two weeks tops. I was just as sad as Sakura, but I had to be strong. For her, and for myself. After all, I believe that our love triumphs time and distance. It's cheesy to say, but after three years of being in this relationship, it's changed me.

I was so cocky and arrogant – but she changed me. Her caring demeanor made me this way. I wanted to be better than everyone else, but now...

Now I feel like I'm melting into a pool of mushiness when I was around Sakura.

"I have to go now." I stroked Sakura's cheek and pushed her bangs out of her face. I leaned in closer to kiss her lips, and luckily for me, she put her strawberry flavoured lipgloss. It was a long kiss, but I had to break it. My heart was breaking again as I saw Sakura burst into tears again.

"I'll miss you, and I love you." She said in a meek voice.

"I love you, and I'll miss you too." I said to her.

With that I separated the grip of our hands and I was walking towards the train that would bring me home. I sat at the window seat, looking at Sakura as she stared sadly at me. The train started to go, and Sakura was waving her arms profusely as usual. This wasn't a new scene – but we acted as if it were a new scene in our lives anyway. I waved back until I could no longer see her silhouette.

_End of Flashback_

**~x~**

Little did I know, that would be the last time that we would ever speak to each other – no, the last time I would ever see Sakura again.

It was at that time that the war emerged.

Our country is comprised of two provinces. "Tomo" the Northern part of the country, and "Eda", the Southern part. We're a relatively small country to begin with and the two governments up in the North and South never got along due to their political ideologies. It was at this time that it was at it's breaking point, neither could get along. The Eda region wanted the country of Tomoeda to enter the free market, to enter the world economy and to progress – however this would mean that our country would break out of it's communal lifestyle and transcend to a higher level of technology and life. In other words, Eda wanted to be a capitalist nation where money ruled and no one was equal. Tomo wanted to remain communist – they wanted the communal lifestyle where _we_ were self-sufficient. It wasn't an entirely communist ideal, there was other philosophies mixed in, but it was predominantly communist if one looked at it. They wanted to support their own country without entering the market – they wanted equality for all.

Heh, that equality would never happen, though, despite the propaganda that the Tomo region tried to display. There is no equality in this world. Everything is polarized, especially wealth.

I digress. Because of these two different outlooks on where the country should go, this sparked a civil war. No one would cooperate. One part wants to go forward, and one part wants to stay the same. Eda was already advancing, but we wanted to go beyond what we achieved.

So the country split in two.

Our country is called Eda now, and the northern country is called Tomo. We're no longer "Tomoeda". It's only right that it remained that way.

Fifteen years has passed and Eda has progressed into one of the most technologically diverse cities on the continent. Skyscrapers, shopping malls, automobiles, cellular phones, electronics... we had it all; but wealth was also polarized here. Before, we didn't have to work as hard to get money because the government would ration our food, housing and money. Now, we all had to work hard, because working hard meant more money. We had to compete for better jobs, compete to get into better schools – this is what capitalism was. Competition, and wealth. It was the way to the future, but at the same time it destroyed the country. Many people were poor and without homes. It's just how it was.

For me, I was an anthropology student up in the North. It was unfortunate that I come from the Eda region and that at this time, I was drafted for the military.

In our country, even before the split, military service was an obligation. We had to serve in the military for two years.

For me, it was fifteen years, all because of this stupid war.

I remember fifteen years ago when I came home to Kaitou city, I did my usual errands but then I got a letter in the mail from the government – the military service, in fact. I knew what I was getting into – but I didn't know that my life would change then. I had to abandon my goals of finishing university and being with my girlfriend because I was forced to. The penalty for not doing so would be death. I had to do it, because I figured that having me alive was better than having me dead. I wanted to see Sakura again, and all my friends. So I put my dreams at a halt.

I didn't realize it would take me fifteen years. I think I would've rather risked jumping the border and going to see Sakura than having to be separated here. I don't even know how she was doing. There were no letters or phone calls. No indication at all of her wanting to be with me. I wrote to her all the time but none got answered. When I tried to phone, it would say the phone number didn't exist. What was I supposed to do?

I worried constantly, because I was in the military and that meant I had to go kill innocent people. Luckily for me, I never had to take anyone's life. I did have to watch as innocents were killed in Tomo. What was I supposed to do? These people, these innocent bystanders were people that I live amongst with as well. While in Tomo, I wanted to find Sakura. I couldn't though, because the capital city of Tomo, Seijou, was too far from where my base was.

Trying to discreetly find a lift there was abysmal. With such a long distance and being on the opposing end, I'd be asking for death – either by my nation's hands or the enemy's hands. You'd think for fifteen years that there would be more technology there. Nope, it was still a communal life. People used horses or they walked. There were no automobiles. Sometimes trains were used but it was only for the wealthy. Things have gotten so bad, I found, that food was scarce and everything was expensive. Since the split, Tomo was in a worse state than I could have ever imagined.

Now, I'm hopeful. The war is over. The dictator that ruled too long in Tomo had finally been shot to death. Not that I condone violence, but it needed to be done. The people of Tomo were oppressed. When I walked down the streets all I saw was skin and bones. There were posters and advertisements of lies, propaganda that promised a better life. I felt sad, because these people did not know what freedom was. Hell, I don't know what freedom was. I was supposed to free the oppressed, but being in the military made me oppressed.

Now it's all over. The two nations have finally made an agreement and now, there are talks of reunification.

We don't know when our country will be reunified, but it will happen. Everyone wanted it to happen. No one wanted Tomoeda to split, it was just a result of power struggles and different ideals. Hopefully, we can rebuild what we destroyed.

Of course I feel guilty for watching as others got killed.

Of course I feel guilty for being part of this blood shed.

There were a lot of things I was guilty for, but there was one thing that always plagued my mind. It was Sakura. I don't blame her for wanting nothing to do with me – I was a part of this mess, whether I was forced to be in this situation or not. I left her and I didn't keep my promise of being by her side always. It's been fifteen years now, and I still wonder if I should have the gall to go up to Seijou city and find her. I knew where she lived, after all – but who knows what happened in fifteen years. It's a decade and a half already that had passed, how was she? I constantly wondered how Sakura was. If she had a family, if she had a husband – it was her dream to be a nurse, and it was also her dream to have a family. Her mother had passed away when she was young so she never grew up in a "complete" family in a sense. She wanted that for her own children.

I'm scared to find out if she moved. If I saw her with another person, I think I'd lose it right there. There's already so many things I'm traumatized about. I still hear the gunshots in my head, and I still see the vivid images of blood and corpses.

Besides, I haven't moved on either.

**~x~**

_Five Months Later..._

"Mr. Li, I have a package for you." A woman with big glasses and brown hair around my age shyly knocked at my door.

"Hello... huh, really?" I said as I yawned. It was 7 am. People don't usually come knocking at your door at 7 am for a package.

She was holding a big box that was enough to fit in her arms, "Yes, didn't you hear?"

"About what?" I asked.

"Mail had been collected during the course of the war. There was absolutely no communication between nations during the war... these are all the letters collected addressed to you." She said as she handed it to me.

"...What?" I said in a complete shock, "Letters?"

"Yes, Mr. Li." She giggled, "You're lucky, you must have a friend over in Seijou city?"

"...Yes, actually." I smiled.

"Family?"

"You could say that." I said as I thought of Tomoyo, Eriol and Dr. Fujitaka Kinomoto – people who have helped me out while living there, and people who have treated me as a family member.

"Well, here you go. It's fifteen years, but it's better late than never." She waved goodbye.

"Thank you." I said as I took the package inside my apartment.

I lived alone now. I didn't live in the military bases anymore. I chose a place in the urban centre of Kaitou city, a high rise apartment that overlooked the city. It was perfect for me, as I could stare off into the horizon to the North.

Life was busy for me. I helped in the recovery process in the war. Cleaning up the rubble, feeding people, you know – humanitarian stuff. It was obligated of the military personnel, but personally I wanted to do it. I didn't feel obligated to, but I just wanted to help out. This senseless war had taken a toll on everyone, and I wanted to do everything I could to help.

I had no time to myself.

Today, it was my only day off. Was it fate that I have a box full of letters delivered to me?

I sat down on my couch and got a knife as I cut the tape off the top of the beaten-up cardboard box. As I opened the box, I saw dozens and dozens of letters and little parcels stacked up neatly inside the box, with string and rubber bands holding them together. My heart was palpitating fast. My head began to feel light and my palms sweaty. I was excited, but I was scared. Who could've sent me these letters?

So I started one by one, opening each envelope and reading each heartfelt letter. They were all addressed to me, from Sakura Kinomoto.

I began to cry as the tears started to soak into the paper. I didn't care.

The first letter read:

"_Dear Syaoran. I miss you each and every day. I hope you're doing good here. I'm doing well, I'm volunteering at the hospital to keep me occupied. It's really boring here without you, even Tomoyo and Eriol seem to agree. I've been hanging out with them but I've been feeling like a third wheel lately. Oh well. I should stop bothering you now, but I'm writing to let you know that I miss you and I love you. Even if it's for two weeks or more, I know you'll come back. Love Sakura."_

My heart began to constrict as I began sifting through the letters. Gradually, the tone of the letters went from a happy mood to a sadder one. It hurt, and I could feel Sakura's hurt. They were more or less the same – she told me she missed me, she told me what happened in her life, etcetera.

After reading thirty letters I came upon a shocking one. My hands began to shake, and my head began to feel more lightheaded.

"_Dear Syaoran. You know I miss you and you're probably busy. I've been trying to call you... I don't want to sound like a clingy girlfriend, but you know, I really do miss you! It's important. I wanted to tell you face-to-face but I guess you're really busy, whatever you're doing. I've tried calling you but I got no answer. I just want to let you know that I'm pregnant. No, I'm not sleeping with anyone else. It's __**our**__ baby. Remember the night before you left to go to Kaitou City? I guess that's what happened. Even despite this stupid war going on, I hope you're safe. I just hope that this reaches you. Please write back – even if you don't want anything to do with me now, just please write me back. I want to know what's going on and I want to know what you think about this news. Love Sakura."_

"... I have... a baby?" I said as I put the letter down. It was already overwhelming enough I read these letters, but to find out I had a child somewhere?

This letter was dated about fifteen years ago, 2 months after I left Sakura that day.

I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. Did Sakura think that I abandoned her because I found out she had my child?

I kept reading.

One after another, I felt the anger and resentment in Sakura's letters. I felt her hurt and pain, and her struggles as a single mother. She stopped writing to me after year ten, and she said that it's fine I wanted nothing to do with her and her son. She told me to have a nice life.

That was it.

I broke down crying afterwards because now I felt even more guilty.

I had a _child_?

He is probably fourteen or fifteen years old by now.

Did Sakura find someone else?

Sakura enclosed a few photographs in some letters, some pictures of our son, Kibou, growing up. Kibou meant hope – she wrote to me. It made it more painful for me to swallow. I saw our child in each photograph, and he looked exactly like me. It would be impossible that it wasn't my child.

I looked at the address Sakura had written down on the envelopes. I kept it in mind and immediately, I booked a train ride to Seijou city. I had to see Sakura no matter what the cost – I don't know what to do, did she want anything to do with me? I had to explain it to her somehow.

Now with the war over, I had to fight a whole new war: the war within myself, and I had to calm the storm that had formed between me and Sakura.

I am scared.

But I am hopeful.

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><p><strong>Authors note:<strong>

Syaoran's POV!

I'm gonna probably finish this tomorrow or tonight. I had this all written out now I just am typing it out. I hope you enjoy. It's meant to be a short and sweet story of war and hurt. Please review my story, it means a lot! :)

This story is inspired by the Korean War. Now not everything is exactly like the Korean war, I just borrowed the "reunification" (or lack of) kind of thing, the country splitting between North and South Korea. I found it really interesting and I wanted to portray it in a story.


	3. 003

**Reunification**

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><p><strong>003. FIN<strong>

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><p>Luckily for me, the sun was shining. Was it perhaps foreshadowing the events that was about to take place? I hoped so. I boarded the train to Seijou city with a suitcase and brand new clothing that wasn't that stupid army uniform. It's been a while since I took a train for leisurely purposes and I think it was about time that I was off.<p>

"Please take care, my son." My mother said before I boarded the train, "I can't believe I have a grandson."

"Me neither, mother." I said with a sad smile, "It's been too long."

"Take care, and call me soon. If anything happens come back down here as soon as you can, alright?"

"Yes mother." Fat chance though. Even if something did happen, I needed to make things right. After all, that girl who delivered me the letters said it was better late than never. This would be my mantra that would lead me through this travel. It took about 8 hours by train to get to Seijou city, so I was here for a while in my thoughts.

I was excited. I was anticipating. Sakura never sent any pictures of herself in the series of letters she wrote to me. I only saw _our_ child. I wonder how much she's changed in fifteen years? I wonder if she even still wanted to talk to me.

I had to be fearless.

I watched as the landscape went from flat to hilly to having huge mountains. Although Tomoeda was a small country (and newly reunified) the topography here was diverse. It was flat in the South in the Eda-Kaitou region, but it's flatness was forgotten as it was warmer down there with a beautiful coast line. In the North, it was full of mountains and lush green trees, but it was chilly as well. This is why it would be abysmal trying to sneak off to the capital city of Seijou – it'd be lengthy and almost impossible to go there by foot alone.

**~x~**

After long eight hours the train finally stopped at Seijou city. Funny, even in fifteen years the city hasn't changed one bit. I see some automobiles now, but it was still scarce. There were a few new buildings but everything remained the same. It was like looking into an old photograph and living in it.

"Have you found a hotel to stay at, sir?" The train attendant asked me. She was a cute young woman with a bright smile. She did not look tired one bit.

"No." I yawned, "But I'll manage."

"Alright. You have yourself a good evening then. Despite the war, there's a relatively low crime rate here in Seijou." The train attendant turned the other way, "So you don't have to worry about your safety here. Have a good evening, Mr. Syaoran Li."

"You too." I smiled as I took my hat and suitcase. I had no sleep, but I was energized by my motivation to see her.

I was happy with the advancements here – in the automobile aspect, anyway. I didn't have to walk ridiculous distances to get anywhere. I didn't have to ride a horse carriage. In fact, I seldom see any as I walked around the centre of the city for about an hour. I knew I wanted to see Sakura, but I wanted to familiarize myself with this environment once more.

I looked at the envelope and the address. After I was done taking in everything, I called for the closest cab. There were many of them here now, but not many personal automobiles.

"Where to, young man?" The old cab driver asked. He was wearing thick glasses and he also had a thick beard. He was smoking a pipe, looking relaxed. I didn't like cigarette or any kind of smoke – too many men in the military smoked and I never found the scent appealing and in fact I found that it was an appalling smell.

"Hi, can you take me to this address?" I showed him the address on the envelope. I lugged my suitcase in the back seat and then I sat in the front of the cab.

The man eyed my envelope for a while, I was getting nervous. What if he was a senile old man?

"If it's a problem..."

"No, it's not a problem." The old man said, "I can drive you there... though I don't know what you'll find there, youngster."

I didn't know what he meant, but I didn't care either. I told him to just drive me to the address and I'd figure out the rest. After 15 minutes of driving around, he finally came to a halt. The car stopped in front of a field, with nothing else left surrounding it.

"...This is it?" I asked myself loudly as I stepped out of the car. There was a pile of rubble around the surrounding areas – but it was completely desolate and void of life.

"This is why I was hesitant on driving you, my boy." The old man said as he stepped out of the car. He took a huge puff of his pipe before exhaling the huge amount of smoke filling his lungs, "No one lives here. Now I know it's none of my business... but I wondered what could a young man like you possibly want hanging around an area like this."

"...This is the address that I had on the envelope..." I mumbled to myself.

I think the old man could sense my distress, so he kept talking, "This was one of the unfortunate sites where the missiles had hit the houses. Many evacuated, a few people got killed fortunately... but I guess that's the after-effects of war on ya'. Technology is going to kill humanity... I'm a total hypocrite for driving an automobile; but things like that... nuclear energy, missiles, all that mumbo jumbo is just going to kill us all."

Missiles? I felt my heart wrenching at the thought. Was Sakura dead? Was that why she didn't write to me so abruptly? Or she was simply mad at me...? I started to freak out inside.

"Did you know someone who lived here?" The old man asked.

"Y-yes..." I turned to him. My body was stiffened with shock. These past few days have been daunting and overwhelming for me. The fact that Sakura could've died? My _son_ could've died? I had to be strong. I was raised to be strong. I was a soldier. I couldn't cry, not in front of this old man. So I swallowed my emotions and nodded afterwards.

"I don't know what to say." The old man patted my back, "I have no idea who the residents of this area had fled to, or what happened to them... I can only hope that they fled safely."

"Me too, sir." I said as I put the suitcase back in the cab. Now what?

"Did you need a ride back to the city centre?" He asked.

"No." I said, "I have another place in mind."

That's when I asked him to drive to Tomoyo's house. Maybe she still lived there – who knows, but it was worth a shot. Even after fifteen years I knew where Tomoyo lived and what her address was; only because she was stinking rich, with her mother being a business tycoon and all. Hopefully I could find my answer there.

"Good luck to you." The driver said as he stopped by Tomoyo's gated property, "Have a safe trip young man."

"You too, sir." I gave him an extra percentage of a tip only because he had helped me out.

He drove off and I was alone now. So I had to take the plunge.

I took a deep breath and rung the bell. I wonder who lived here now? I stood there, with my khakis and black shirt, along with my suitcase. I stood there for about a good five minutes before someone came to the front of the iron gates.

A girl with long black hair and blue eyes came running towards my direction. She was wearing a dainty dress with wedged shoes. I knew that face and I knew that fashion sense anywhere.

"Tomoyo!" I yelled as she stopped in front of me. I can see her from the other side of the gate.

She jumped a bit as she got a glimpse of my face, as if she's seen a ghost. Her eyes widened and she screamed, "...Syaoran? Is that you?" She then quickly tried to open the iron gate – she did so with such force and finesse. I was surprised a woman of her stature could brave opening the rusty iron gate.

"...I'm glad I have a photographic memory." I laughed.

Tomoyo greeted me with a huge hug. She stared at me with those big widened surprised eyes, and she was shaking my shoulders. Man, did that girl have a tight grip. She started to pinch my cheeks, and then she started to pinch herself.

"Is this real?" Tomoyo asked.

"Ummm... yes. This is as real as it gets. I'm real." I smirked.

"Where the hell have you been all this time?" Tomoyo shot me a glare as she put her hands on her hips. She hasn't aged a bit.

"I've been in Kaitou city, I'm sure you knew that already." I said.

"Ugh..." Tomoyo shook her head, "It's cold, why are you out here all the sudden after a decade? No, wait, fifteen years! Anyway... it's late so come on." She took my hand and we both ran towards her huge mansion.

"Make yourself at home. Like you always did." Tomoyo smiled.

"You just welcome me into your home like that?" I asked her.

"Well... I can't say I'm happy to see you... but at the same time I am." Tomoyo said, "Now I can finally get answers out of you."

"Who's that, honey?" Eriol said as he walked down the stairs. As he saw me, his eyes also widened, "No way!" Eriol's mouth was wide open. He immediately ran down the stairs to go see me.

"Heh, still the same, huh Eriol?" I grinned.

"Where the hell have you been?" Eriol asked – then he started laughing. I think he was laughing from the excitement.

"Sweetheart I was asking him the same question." Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's sit down. Are you hungry? We have a lot to talk about."

"Actually, I am." I said as I patted my stomach, "Eight hours is a long time to travel."

**~x~**

After Tomoyo served me a sandwich, we finally cut to the chase.

"Why are you here after fifteen years? Did your wife leave you?" Tomoyo said accusingly.

"What?" I spit out my water.

"What else could it be?" Tomoyo asked.

"Tomoyo... you know it's not good to jump to conclusions." Eriol tried to hush his wife. I'm surprised they lasted this long in this marriage – they're two different people!

"What excuse do you have for abandoning Sakura and breaking her heart?" Tomoyo stood up from her seat and stared into my eyes. She wanted answers, and I knew when Tomoyo wanted answers, she was going to pry it out of you no matter what. A complete opposite from Sakura who was softspoken.

"First of all, I never looked at another woman since Sakura." I said calmly, "Second of all, I never abandoned her."

"Oh really?" Tomoyo said, "Then why all this time, you come back?"

I hated having to explain myself, but after all this time I owed them an explanation. I knew I owed Sakura an explanation, but first I had to let them realize that I wasn't directly the bad person here. Tomoyo softened up as I explained to her my situation: how I was drafted to go serve the military, how I was forced to train and then go combat and lastly, how none of the letters Sakura sent had gotten to me until recently.

"All this time, I never knew I had a son... much less knowing that I got Sakura pregnant." I felt my cheeks flush at the thought.

"I'm sorry for accusing you." Tomoyo went to give me a hug.

"I never meant to break her heart, you know that." I looked at Tomoyo with a sincere look, "I loved her then, and I love her now."

"Even all this time." Tomoyo sighed, "How romantic!"

"You're tired, aren't you, Syaoran?" Eriol asked.

"Yeah a bit." I said, "But I want to see Sakura."

"It's getting late... after all this madness, it's almost midnight." Tomoyo looked at the grandfather clock in the hallway. Indeed, ten minutes and it would be midnight. I guess it would be foolish to go wherever Sakura was and wake her up.

"Will you take me to Sakura?" I asked Tomoyo.

Tomoyo and Eriol gave each other an apprehensive look, but Eriol nodded, "Of course we will."

"I just don't know how Sakura will act." Tomoyo bit her fingernails. I guess that's a habit she hasn't dropped.

"You need rest. It's been a long journey." Eriol said as he took my suitcase, "I'll take you to the guest room."

Even though I complied with their request for me to sleep, I actually didn't sleep. I was awake all night, staring at the ceiling and then staring at the moon peeking through the window. I was here – I was in Seijou city. I hoped that when I see Sakura tomorrow that she would react as kindly as Tomoyo and Eriol have, and that she would be understanding. I understood Tomoyo's reaction upon seeing me, as I would have reacted the same so I harboured no hard feelings. Though, I don't know how _I'll_ react if Sakura pushes me away. Neither of them told me if Sakura had another man or anything, they never really mentioned Sakura either, which made me worry.

I just had to wait and see I guess.

**~x~**

Morning couldn't come soon enough. I was already up and ready as soon as Eriol came knocking at my door.

"Before we head off, let's have some coffee in the morning, shall we?" Eriol asked.

"Where's Tomoyo?"

"She's dozing off. The usual. I think she's still trying to make sense of everything that's going on." Eriol said, while he put on his smoking jacket – funny because Eriol doesn't smoke. I guess it looks posh, "Let's just talk before Tomoyo wakes up. You know sometimes she gets hysterical after all the stress."

"Are you mad at me?" I asked him.

"Of course not." Eriol patted my back as we walked to the kitchen, "I completely understand. I think Tomoyo does too."

"I sure hope so." I smiled.

"She's had to deal with so many years comforting Sakura with all of this and she believed that you had purposely left Sakura – I think it's a lot for her to just change her views like that. I think she values Sakura more than me, which is fine, since I'm only just her husband... Sakura is practically her sister." Eriol chuckled.

"I understand her point of view as well." I replied.

Eriol poured me a mug of coffee before we started speaking again.

"How is Sakura?" I asked as I put some cream and sugar in my drink.

"She's well... I mean, she could be better. But she's well." Eriol said while taking a huge sip of his coffee. I shuttered at the thought of drinking it straight black like he did. I liked my coffee sweet.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, everyone is still recovering from the war. Which makes Sakura above those people because she wasn't too impacted in a sense – well I guess she is, since with what happened with you and whatnot... but she doesn't know that. She's been working and volunteering." Eriol said.

"So I read from her letters she finally graduated from nursing school." I smiled to myself.

"Yes, even though she doesn't need to work since her father and brother support her, she does anyways because she wants to make a good example for her son—no, your son, Kibou." Eriol grinned, "By the way, he's a splitting image of you."

"I know, I saw from the photographs Sakura sent me..." I said sadly. I felt guilty for missing all the birthdays and all the moments I could've spent with my son and with Sakura. Not like it could be helped anyway.

"Are you nervous?" Eriol asked.

"Sort of." I admitted, "I don't know what to say to Kibou after all these years."

"Sakura told him that you're dead." Eriol said, "To be honest I don't know how she'll react when she sees you. She's been bitter and angry... I don't know, I would be in her shoes... but don't be shocked to see that she's not the same anymore. I think this whole situation changed her."

"I know." I said, "And I have to make it right."

Tomoyo finally woke up and we had to wait for her to get dressed and have her morning tea and croissant. That took about two hours because Tomoyo was always focused on her looks and everything had to be perfect. Eriol and I just talked some more, trying to fill in the gaps and trying to catch up on everything.

I admit that hearing everything that Eriol said made me nervous. I had to be brave. Even though I was out in the battlefield, seeing other people get shot and killed – this was the scariest thing I've ever encountered. I was going to see my son for the first time and I was going to confront Sakura, who probably hated me, for the first time in fifteen years.

The ride to Sakura's house was long – for me at least. It took only ten minutes by car, but it felt like an hour for me. I was sweating and my heart was beating too many beats a minute. Tomoyo tried to give me some morale by encouraging me and telling me jokes.

"You're probably nervous because Eriol is such a careless driver." Tomoyo joked, "But everything is going to be okay."

But was it going to be okay?

We stopped in front of a red brick house that was a little bit in the outskirts of the city – it wasn't too far out, but it wasn't in the city centre, either.

We parked the car in front of the house and I took a deep breath as I stepped out of the vehicle. I could smell the clean air, and I am thankful that at least in the Tomo region, the air hasn't been polluted as much as the Eda region down south. I missed this rustic feeling, and looking at this red brick house that Sakura lived in made me feel more at home. This was my home, despite being away for so long and not even having grown up here – I grew more as a person in Seijou city than in Kaitou city, even after all the wars and such.

"I think we'll just sit this one out." Tomoyo said, "We'll be waiting in the car, so don't worry."

"You-you're not coming with me?" I looked at Eriol and Tomoyo.

"This one, you have to do alone." Eriol said, "We're here to support you, but you have to fight your own battles."

I gulped.

They were right. This was _my _battle to fight.

I summed up all the courage I had and knocked on the door. I stared at the little details the house had, like how the wind chime made a pleasant noise as a breeze went by, or how the potted flowers were neatly lined up in a row. Or how about the tire swing that was attached to the cherry tree in the front of the house.

There was no answer so I tried knocking again.

The silence was too much.

I looked behind me and gave Eriol and Tomoyo a pleading, desperate and lost look. What now? No one was home! As I turned around to walk back to Eriol's car, I heard the door creak open.

"Can I help you?" I heard a boy's voice coursing through my ears. I turned around quickly to see a young man, almost my height, looking at me with his big brown eyes. I knew who it was, but how was I supposed to approach it?

Luckily I was wearing my hat so the resemblance wasn't _too _obvious.

"Hi... is Sakura Kinomoto there?" I said shyly.

"Oh, mother? She's just in the kitchen preparing lunch." The boy replied, "We're expecting guests."

"Oh.' I replied.

"Hey, isn't that aunt Tomoyo and uncle Eriol out there?" The boy looked behind me.

"Uh... yeah." I said nervously.

"Kibou, who's that?" A familiar voice approached us. I felt my body stiffen as the woman I've been dreading to see – yet excited to see came to see me.

She was as shocked as I was. She dropped her wooden spoon and her mouth was wide open. Her green eyes were so big, and they grew even bigger as she saw me. She hasn't aged a bit – well, it was obvious she had aged, but she still looked as beautiful as ever. Her short auburn hair that I remembered was now braided into a fishtail braid which suited her features well. She still had those cute bangs I loved and still do love.

"Kibou, please go wash the spoon and tend to the pot." Sakura tried to maintain her composure.

"Alright." Kibou looked at me with a suspicious look. He picked up the wooden spoon Sakura had dropped headed towards the kitchen.

Sakura closed the door behind her and sighed. She was in awe, she was staring at me but then she looked away.

"So, you've finally shown up." Sakura said bitterly.

"...Sakura." I said softly.

"Don't '_Sakura_' me." Sakura yelled as she put her hands on her hips. She looked behind me and saw Tomoyo and Eriol watching. She rolled her eyes and walked down the porch and headed towards the back of the house, "Follow me, I don't want those two watching me right now."

"...Okay." I said as I followed her.

"I don't even want to see you... or talk to you right now." Sakura sat down on a swing she had assembled in her back yard. The swing was attached to another cherry tree.

"I..."

"What are you doing here, Syaoran?" Sakura asked in a stern tone. I could tell she was putting up a front. Her voice was filled with anger, but her eyes were full of hurt and sadness. I didn't want to go and hug her right away, because she might react. So instead I sat down on a huge rock beside the tree and faced her.

"I came to see you." I said with a smirk.

"Very funny." Sakura chucked a small pebble at me, "So this is it? After fifteen years, you decide to show up at my house? What makes you think you can just show up here after abandoning me?"

"Look, Sakura." I looked intensely into her eyes, "I _did not_ abandon you."

"Oh yeah?" Sakura started to laugh at my statement, "That's funny because I could've thought otherwise. No, I think otherwise, actually. What do you call someone who ignores my calls and doesn't even bother to write back to me? I don't care if you didn't love me anymore – some support with your _son_ would be nice."

"You're always jumping to conclusions. Fifteen years have passed and you haven't changed a bit in that department, I see."

"Shut up!" Sakura said, "What makes you think you can just come here and waltz back into my life? Don't you have a family or something to go back to? Seeing as how you abandoned me. You abandoned your son."

"Look. Listen to me, I never abandoned you. Why don't you get that through your thick skull?" I stood up and walked up to her. She gasped as I towered over her, to the point she toppled off the swing. She glared at me, inching away from me.

"Get away from me!" Sakura yelled.

"Look." I said as I knelt down beside her. I stared into her green eyes, "I'm sorry – but please listen to me."

"What do I need to listen to?" Sakura started to burst into tears, "You've hurt me enough, Syaoran."

"Mom?" Kibou walked outside through the back door, "What the hell is going on?" He glared at me.

"Son, please go back inside. I'm fine. I'm just talking to this gentleman." Sakura tried to remain calm.

"This guy doesn't look like any gentleman to me." Kibou grumbled, "And you on the ground doesn't seem fine to me either, ma!"

"Kibou. Go back inside. Now." Sakura demanded.

"Fine." Kibou said as he threw his arms up in the air. He turned around one last time to look at me, "If you hurt my mother, you're dead."

I definitely saw myself in that boy. I couldn't help but smile throughout this whole ordeal.

"What's funny?" Sakura noticed my expression.

"He really does look like me, doesn't he." I said as I sat down on the grass facing Sakura.

"He reminds me of you every day. I love my son, but I hate how he reminds me of you." Sakura replied.

"I want you to listen to me." I grabbed her hands tightly, which made her sit up a bit from surprise. She did not move her hands away, and her gaze was fixed upon me.

"What..." She said softly, "Stop looking at me like that..."

"Sakura... I never intended to leave you that day. When I was on the train to Kaitou city, I wanted to go back as soon as I can..." I explained to her in a soft voice, "Of course, when I headed to Kaitou city, you knew that the war broke down between Tomo and Eda."

"Of course I did." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Then you should know that crossing the border is simply illegal." I explained.

Sakura nodded, "I... I never thought about that..." Her expression softened, but then she reverted back to her hardened accusing expression, "What about all the phone calls and letters?"

"I never got your phone calls." I admitted. "I never got your letters – until recently, Sakura."

"What?" Sakura said in shock.

"I wrote to you, Sakura. I wrote to you every week. I never got any letters back... I only assumed _you_ wanted nothing to do with me..." I said with a sad smile, "I thought you had a family and another man of your own."

"I've never had time for romance, Syaoran. I was raising my son." Sakura said, "Also, for all those years I've foolishly waited for you. Anything, really. A letter, a phone call... I waited and waited until I gave up. I didn't want to make my son hope anymore. So I told Kibou that you died."

"I understand." I said. I couldn't help but feel hurt by her revelation.

"...So you never got my letters?" Sakura's eyes began to fill up with tears.

"I only got them recently, I said... and you bet I read every single one of them as I opened the package. I found a stack full of your letters and all the pictures you sent of Kibou." I smiled and approached her.

Sakura pulled me in a hug and then she started to cry. I was surprised myself – but I put my arms around her too and let her cry.

"Syaoran... I'm so... so sorry!" Sakura sobbed.

"Don't be sorry." I whispered softly.

"I assumed that... that you..."

"I don't blame you." I looked into her wet green eyes. I wiped her tears away with my fingers and I tried to calm her down.

"Where have you been all this time?" Sakura asked.

"If you had let me explained, I would tell you." I said.

I explained to Sakura how I was drafted into the military and everything that happened within the past fifteen years. I told her everything, basically. I also told her how sorry I was that this had to happen.

"I didn't know." I said, "If I knew, I would've tried my best to come see you."

"That's horrible..." Sakura said as she finally calmed down a bit.

"It is, but it's over now. Now I'm here to see you." I said as I leaned over to kiss her.

Sakura's face turned red at first, but she kissed me back. I held her close to me, but that resulted in me falling over and laying down on the grass. Sakura was on top of me, giving me kiss after kiss. She was crying again, but I could see her smiling.

"What's going on here?" Kibou went out the back door again. He jumped as he saw his mother on top of me. "Ahhh! Get a room!" He ran back inside.

Sakura and I started to laugh at his reaction and we both looked at each other affectionately. She got off of me and stood up, and she held my hand to pull me up.

"What happens now?" I asked her with a smile.

"I don't know what happens now, but I've waited so long to see you... and to kiss you... and to get answers from you..." She said softly as she locked me in an embrace again. I held her close and smelled her hair. It smelled like the same strawberry shampoo she used when she was a young adult. Now Sakura has blossomed into a beautiful mature woman.

"I'm glad to see you, too." I whispered, "But how am I gonna explain to Kibou who I am?"

"Sssh. We'll take it slowly. One stride at a time." Sakura replied, "He has to know his father is not dead."

We joined our hands together and kissed once more.

**~x~**

From here on, we'll try to make things work.

Who knows what will happen in the future, but I was glad that I was finally reunited with Sakura and with my son. It'll take a while to adjust to everything, but hopefully Kibou will come to forgive me too, and accept me as his mother did. It took a lot of kindness and character for Sakura to forgive me – but I always knew she would, somehow. I knew her kind character. Even if she grew bitter in time, I knew that somewhere in there was the sweetness that I knew Sakura had.

This time, we'll live our life together.

Reunified.

* * *

><p><strong>Authors note:<strong>

And I'm done! I needed to write a small short story because I've tried to give myself a personal assignment by writing at least _something_ once a day. So a short story it is! I hope you liked it, I conceived it in like less than 48 hours lol. There's some romance I guess. I don't really write fluff stories, I like to write complicated plot twists. So something short and sweet is nice and I'm pleased with it. Please review and tell me what you think, and if theres enough feedback I might make more stories like this (not the same plot obviously but short sweet stories.)


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